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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27158074">Central Heating</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fried_eggs/pseuds/cloud'>cloud (fried_eggs)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>In Other Lands | The Turn of the Story - Sarah Rees Brennan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Fluff, M/M, Plotless really, missing scene before they graduate, with a little Serene in there</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:13:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>407</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27158074</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fried_eggs/pseuds/cloud</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>As Elliot blinks into wakefulness, he basks in the warmth and the quiet of the morning, of having Luke by his side, his heart beating slowly but steadily under his head on Luke's chest.</p>
</blockquote>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elliot Schafer/Luke Sunborn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Central Heating</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Golden light filters through the cabin windows, illuminating golden hair and golden skin. As Elliot blinks into wakefulness, he basks in the warmth and the quiet of the morning, of having Luke by his side, his heart beating slowly but steadily under his head on Luke's chest. </p>
<p>Elliot stays there for quite a bit, dozing off while Luke dreams on, but the early morning comes to pass. The pleasant warmth becomes sweltering heat in the Borderlands summer. </p>
<p>"Hey loser, get up." </p>
<p>He elbows Luke in the side, and laughs when he grumbles. Elliot gets up and picks up his clothes from where they're scattered on the floor. He watches Luke as he dresses up, as Luke rouses from sleep. </p>
<p>Seeing Luke on his bed, in his cabin, does funny things to his heart. As Luke stretches his arms above his head, his ivory wings extend to their full length, his primaries reaching the ceiling. His body is all hard lines, but sleepiness relaxes his sharp edges. </p>
<p>The morning picks up after that. They get ready, visit Luke's cabin to pick up some books and weapons, and go to breakfast with Serene. Luke and Serene talk about their classes in the afternoon, with Elliot providing dry commentary as he reads his book on Trollish customs. </p>
<p><em>It’s the last summer before we get our postings</em>, Elliot thinks. Although he’s staying in the Borderlands, he’ll miss the easy days spent at camp, watching his friends train while absorbed in a book, attending Trigon matches, seeing his friends and not-quite-friends everyday, the people he’s spent nearly five years with. </p>
<p>He’s a little wistful when they finish breakfast. Before Luke and Serene head to their war-training class, he calls out. "Hey! I’ll see you guys later?"</p>
<p>Serene smiles her little smile and says, "Of course." She steps aside for Luke, who smiles radiantly at him, all golden hair and golden skin and bright teeth. Luke presses a kiss into the corner of Elliot’s mouth, and says, <em>See you later</em>. </p>
<p>Elliot watches them cross the field to their building, and crooks his lips into a smile of his own. <em>Later</em>, he wonders. He thinks of all that <em>laters</em> can bring, as well as <em>tomorrows</em> and <em>next weeks</em> and <em>next years</em>. He thinks of the future, the ever bright future that flourishes in the newly-minted peace of the Borderlands. </p>
<p>He heads to his class, as the golden light of his possibilities beckons to him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey! This is my first posted fic, so please be kind to me haha. This is actually a little something I wrote a few months ago, right after I finished the book. I really liked the hopeful tone the book ended on, so I tried to write something similar. Hope you enjoyed!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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